Veteran Hotelier Cetin Sekercioglu Appointed CEO of Upgrading, a Revolutionary Platform for Hotels to Upsell

Cetin Sekercioglu, hospitality and travel industry visionary, has co-founded Upgrading.cc and taken on the role as its Chief Executive Officer.

Upgrading.cc is the world's first online travel platform that allows hotels and service apartments to upsell at no investment and provides the opportunity to unlock potential upselling revenue gains of 40 to 90%.

Sekercioglu will spearhead the development of the online upselling platform, oversee the management of partners and consumers, as well as market expansion.

"I am very excited to be able to apply my expertise and passion for technology in Upgrading.cc that provides easy-to-use, real-time upgrading solutions to guests prior to their arrival. The platform also enables our hotel and service apartment partners to optimize revenue opportunities that would otherwise have been left untapped," said Sekercioglu. "I am confident that Upgrading.cc will bring unprecedented benefits to all parties in the travel industry."

Sekercioglu has had an extensive three-decade-long career in the hospitality industry, having held key leadership positions, including Executive Vice President of Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts and President of Millennium Hotels & Resorts, Asia Pacific. He also served on the board of directors for the two hotel groups, CEIBS Corporate Advisory Board and China Real Estate Association.

The leader in strategic direction is also an innovation and technology advocate. Never one satisfied with the status quo, Sekercioglu has applied his forward thinking to harnessing technology to revolutionize traditional areas in the hospitality industry, including introducing relay robot servicing in hotels in Asia, digitizing food and beverage loyalty programs and online booking membership program, the Bookers' Club.

Sekercioglu is fluent in English, Turkish, French, German, Italian and Spanish, and speaks some Mandarin. The international corporate leader has lived and worked in various parts of the world, including China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Turkey, Italy, France, England, Switzerland and North America.

Cetin Sekercioglu, CEO of Upgrading.cc

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Tags: #upgradingcc #upgrade #upsell #RevPAR #revenuegain

About Upgrading.cc

Upgrading.cc seeks to simplify the process of purchasing upgrades. Once you have made your bookings via various channels, follow Upgrading.cc "How it Works" to upgrade your rooms, also check out Club and Suite Promotions and opportunities to purchase lounge access. You can also choose to create your own price alert by clicking on "My Price Alerts", and we will notify you if there are any changes in price to match your budget so that you do not miss out any upgrading opportunities. For more information visit www.upgrading.cc

Human Resources: An Era of Transition

Traditionally, the human resource department administers five key areas within a hotel operation - compliance, compensation and benefits, organizational dynamics, selection and retention, and training and development. However, HR professionals are also presently involved in culture-building activities, as well as implementing new employee on-boarding practices and engagement initiatives. As a result, HR professionals have been elevated to senior leadership status, creating value and profit within their organization. Still, they continue to face some intractable issues, including a shrinking talent pool and the need to recruit top-notch employees who are empowered to provide outstanding customer service. In order to attract top-tier talent, one option is to take advantage of recruitment opportunities offered through colleges and universities, especially if they have a hospitality major. This pool of prospective employees is likely to be better educated and more enthusiastic than walk-in hires. Also, once hired, there could be additional training and development opportunities that stem from an association with a college or university. Continuing education courses, business conferences, seminars and online instruction - all can be a valuable source of employee development opportunities. In addition to meeting recruitment demands in the present, HR professionals must also be forward-thinking, anticipating the skills that will be needed in the future to meet guest expectations. One such skill that is becoming increasingly valued is “resilience”, the ability to “go with the flow” and not become overwhelmed by the disruptive influencesof change and reinvention. In an era of transition—new technologies, expanding markets, consolidation of brands and businesses, and modifications in people's values and lifestyles - the capacity to remain flexible, nimble and resilient is a valuable skill to possess. The March Hotel Business Review will examine some of the strategies that HR professionals are employing to ensure that their hotel operations continue to thrive.